Ciliated Muconodular Papillary Tumor of the Lung: Thin-Section CT Findings of 16 Cases

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article was to assess thin-section CT features of ciliated muconodular papillary tumors (CMPTs) of the lung and correlations between radiologic and pathologic findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thin-section CT findings of 16 patients (10 men and six women; mean age, 70.7 years) with surgically resected CMPTs were retrospectively analyzed. Size, location, and internal characteristics of the tumors were evaluated. The amount of mucin in the tumors was assessed histopathologically and compared with CT findings. Tumor growth speed was calculated on the basis of size changes on thin-section CT. RESULTS. In all 16 patients, tumors were detected as a solitary pulmonary nodule. Thirteen tumors (81.3%) were located in the lower lobes, and 10 (62.5%) were adjacent to the pleura. Mean maximal diameter of the tumors was 9.1 mm (range, 6-14 mm). One tumor (6.3%) presented as a pure ground-glass nodule (GGN), seven (43.8%) as dense GGNs, and eight (50.0%) as solid nodules. Pathologically, the pure GGN and five of seven dense GGNs had a large amount of mucin, whereas seven of eight solid nodules had an intermediate or small amount of mucin. The mean annual tumor growth rate (in diameter) was 0.49 mm/y. CONCLUSION. CMPTs appear as solitary, small, and peripheral pulmonary nodules with very slow growth rates. CMPTs appearing as pure GGNs and dense GGNs tend to contain more mucin than CMPTs appearing as solid nodules.

Keywords: CT; ciliated muconodular papillary tumor; lung.